"Your name has echoed through my mind
And I just think you should, think you should know
That nothing safe is worth the drive
And I would follow you, follow you home
I'll follow you, follow you home

This hope is treacherous
This daydream is dangerous
This hope is treacherous"

- "Treacherous" by Taylor Swift

Chapter 20

The next five days passed by dreadfully slow. The only interesting thing to happen was a visit from Mala. She requested a tour of the School of Dragons, and I was happy to oblige. She was very impressed with our training facilities, and she accepted the headmaster's invitation to send over some of her Defenders as students. It was good to catch up with her.

Finally, I received a Terror Mail from Harald containing a map to a secret location. I made an excuse to the dragon riders, telling them I would be gone for most of the day. Then Bolt and I set off in search of the island.

It was a little out of the way, but that meant it was unlikely someone would find us by accident. Circling the island, I noted it seemed uninhabited. I flew down when I spotted Harald's ship.

Leopold immediately flew right into me. I laughed and stroked his back. "Hi, Leopold. It's good to see you." I set him down so he could greet Bolt as well.

"Don't I get a 'hello?'" Harald said with a look of mock hurt.

I smirked and rolled my eyes. "Just be patient." I quickly closed the distance and embraced him. As soon as he hugged me back, I bent his head down to kiss him. Pulling away, I gave him a small smile. "Hi."

Harald smiled back at me. "Hi, love."

Unable to resist, I kissed him again. This time, he tightened his arms around me and pulled me closer. We broke away a minute later, leaving me slightly lightheaded but satisfied.

"Is there anything you want to do besides this?" Harald said in a low voice, his breath tickling my cheek. "Not that I mind." He smirked and brought his lips to mine.

As tempting as the idea was, my rational mind told me I had other goals to accomplish. I reluctantly pulled away and lowered my hands to his chest. "I think we should get the lay of the land... perhaps from a dragon?"

Harald looked past me at Bolt. "Will this be anything like the time you showed me around Dragon's Edge?"

I laughed. "Not if you're good."

Harald smirked. "That sounds alright with me."

I took his hand and led him to my dragon. Bolt was all too eager to allow him onto his back. As we got settled, I remembered the times we used to fly together before I knew the truth about him. Everything was different now, but it still felt the same. I once again wondered how much back then had been truly real.

We flew around the entire island at a moderate pace. When we were finished, we returned to a pond we saw earlier. I thought it would be nice to have a swim, so I discarded my sword, shield, and bracers. Harald did the same.

"You see, this is the proper season to swim," he said. "It's much warmer than last time."

I smirked. "I guess I'm just tougher than you." I stepped into the water, bracing myself against the cold. I slowly inched forward.

"What's taking so long?" Harald said from the middle of the pond. "You didn't have this problem when we swam in the sea."

I frowned. "That's because I jumped from your ship and got it over with all at once. It's a little hard to do that here."

"Oh, I can help you with that."

I picked up my pace when he started swimming towards me, knowing I would not like whatever he had planned. I froze when he reached me. With a mischievous smirk, he picked me up and threw me into the middle of the pond. I gasped as a plunged into the water. My head popped out, and I glared at Harald, who started laughing. "HARALD!"

"You're welcome," he said with a grin.

I swam in his direction, and he took off. We chased each other around until we were too tired to swim any longer. By that time, we were both laughing and enjoying ourselves immensely. We emerged from the pond, dripping wet. Bolt and Leopold, who were playing on the shore, gave us odd looks.

"That looks like a nice to place to dry off and soak up the sun," I said, nodding at a hill.

"Let's go, mate," Harald said.

We made the trek up the hill. It was not particularly tall, but it did have a nice incline. I suddenly got an idea. Just as Harald was about to lay down, I tackled him and sent us both rolling down the hill. I struggled to retain dominance, and when we landed, I was the one who ended up on top. I smirked down at him.

"Having fun?" he said in amusement.

"Yes, thanks!"

Before I could decide what to do next, Harald shifted his body and flipped us so that he was straddling me. He grinned in triumph. "Nice try, love."

I scoffed. "I let you do that."

Harald smirked. "Sure."

I struggled but found myself unable to move from under him. "Uh... are you going to let me go?"

Harald grinned wickedly. "No." He lowered his face to mine and kissed me.

My resistance faded, and I kissed him back. I felt him smirk, but I did not care. If he thought this was a victory, it was in my favor. Heat stirred inside me, and I kissed him harder. Then he broke away and trailed kisses down my neck. "Harald..."

I felt him smile against me skin. "I love it when you say my name." His teeth grazed my collarbone, and I gasped.

"Harald," I moaned as he sucked my sensitive skin.

Harald lifted his head and kissing my lips again. I finally felt him loosen enough so I could twist my body and get him off me. He caught on to what I was doing, and stopped me when we were on our sides. Satisfied with this, my arms went around his neck as I kissed him passionately. Our legs were tangled and our bodies pressed close together. My desire grew, and I found I wanted even more.

"We should stop," Harald whispered when we paused for air.

"I don't want to stop," I breathed.

Harald smiled and rubbed his thumb across my cheek. "I don't want to stop either, but it's not safe to let things escalate too much out here in the open."

I groaned but knew he was right. How was he the responsible one? "Fine." I untangled myself from him and laid on my back, staring up at the blue sky and taking deep breaths. I heard him lay beside me. His hand brushed mine, and I smiled. "Let's play a game."

"What kind of game?" he said curiously.

"A truth game."

Harald chuckled. "Are you sure that's wise?"

"No, but it'll be fun."

"Alright. How do you play?"

I rolled onto my side to look at him, and he did the same. "We take turns asking each other questions. We have to answer honestly. We gradually increase the difficulty of the questions, and when one of us refused to answer a question, the other one wins."

Harald looked at me in amusement. "And how will you know I'm telling the truth?"

"I just will. And if I don't and find out later that you lied, I'll sock you."

Harald laughed. "Can I go first?"

"Go ahead."

He smirked. "What is the meaning of life?"

I gaped at him. "What kind of question is that?"

"It's a question. Do you have an answer?"

"No!"

He grinned. "Then I win!"

"The point is to ask questions about each other to learn about each other, not win!"

"But I like winning."

I groaned. Why did I think this would go over well? "If I let you win, will you play my way next round?"

Harald smirked. "Sure."

"Fine. You win."

He grinned. "Good. I'm better than you at your own game."

I rolled my eyes. "Cheater."

"I think it's called a loophole, love." He smirked. "If you want to play again, you can go first because I won last time."

I let out a heavy breath. "Okay, but let's be serious this time." I took a moment to compose myself and get back into the spirit of the game. "What is your favorite color?"

Harald lifted his eyebrows. "That's your question?"

"It's better than yours! Just answer."

"Purple."

I smiled. "Good. Now it's your turn."

"What is your favorite feature of mine?"

I gave him a look. "Really?"

He smirked. "Would you rather I ask a question like my last one? I know it must be difficult to choose from my many amazing qualities, so I'll narrow it down to physical features."

"You're as bad as Snotlout." But at least this was a question I could answer. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Gazing at him, I knew what to say. "Your eyes. I love your eyes. They're beautiful and convey so much more than your words."

His eyes softened as I spoke, and he gave me a small smile. "Thank you. You may ask your question now."

"How old were you when you left home?"

"That was 10 years ago. I was 16."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Wow. That's pretty young." Although I was 16 when I left Berserker Island for the School of Dragons, but that was a bit different...

"It was... necessary."

I did not dare ask for clarification. "It's your turn."

"Do you want to get married someday?"

I shifted uncomfortably. "Are you-?"

"No, I'm not asking about me. I want to know your thoughts on marriage in general."

I bit my lip as I thought about my response. "I don't want to get married just to get married. The idea itself has never appealed to me. I'm totally fine on my own. But if it were the right guy, I would love to be married. To me, marriage is a symbol of love, not something to aspire to itself. The marriage is not as important as being with with someone I love."

"I see." Harald looked away from me as if considering my response.

I decided it was time to risk delving a little deeper. "When we first met and Hiccup offered to assign someone to you to help you get adjusted, why did you choose me?"

His eyes flickered back to mine. "Because I found you interesting."

"And you didn't have any ulterior motives? You didn't think I was the one who would be the most difficult to win over, so you might as well start with me?"

"Of course I thought that, but that's not why I chose you. I liked you, even then. I did not have to spend that much time with you to gain your trust."

I scoffed. "So you say..."

"I did not use you, Brennda. Not directly. Yes, I deceived all of you, but I never lied to you specifically to reach my goals. I spent time with you because I wanted to. If I didn't like you, I would have been much more efficient. I stayed much longer than necessary..."

I searched his eyes and only found sincerity. I swallowed hard. He was implying that it was real after all. And I believed him. "Thank you for telling me." Feeling overwhelmed, I rolled onto my back and took deep breaths. I did not expect this game to go over this well.

"Will you turn your back to me?" Harald said gently.

"Huh?" I did as he said, and his arms snaked around me. He pulled me against his chest and held me protectively, resting his head on mine. I sighed happily at the intimacy of it. "It's your turn..."

"What do you want from me? What is your end goal?"

I sucked in a sharp breath. We were broaching dangerous territory here. "I've told you what I want."

"Yes, you want to be with me. But what does that looks like to you? I don't imagine you want to turn pirate."

"No." I held in a sigh. He deserved to know the truth about my intentions. "I want you on my side. With the dragon riders. And not just because it would be easier on me. I think it would be better for you too. I think you could do great things if you gave yourself a chance."

"You're the only one who thinks that," Harald said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

My mind drifted to my next question. "Have you ever had a real friend? I mean, someone you could confide in and who was always there for you?"

"I was never much the friend type, even as a child. But... I did have one true friend once. I met him after I left a crew of pirates that had taken me in after I ran away from home. I could no longer live by their rules, and this man helped me escape even though he had no reason to. We were inseparable after that. Eventually, we had to go our separate ways."

"Just like that?" My mind still reeled at the idea of him having a friend.

"Of course. We could not let each other get in the way of our goals. Our paths became incompatible."

I frowned. That sounded familiar. I wondered if he hid the pain and loneliness his friend's departure had caused. Had he wanted him to protest and go after him? If his only friend left him, no wonder he was so scared of getting close to anyone.

"It's my turn, right?" He paused. "Brennda... do you trust me?"

My heart skipped a beat. Why did he have to ask that? I shifted in his arms so that I was facing him and could look into his eyes, which contained mixed emotions I could not decipher. "I trust you not to hurt me."

"Is that based on logic? Is it because I have never hurt you in the past and it is reasonable to assume I won't in the future?"

I frowned. "I don't understand what you're getting at. Are you implying trust is irrational?"

"No. Reason is irrelevant. Trust goes beyond that. If you have evidence that someone will keep their word, trust is not required. Trust means believing in someone even when you are not certain. Trust is dangerous because most people will let you down. But when it works out... it is powerful."

His explanation amazed me. Clearly, he had thought a lot about this. With this in mind, I reconsidered his question. "When you told me where the Grimora venom was hidden, it did not even occur to me that you could be tricking me. I came up with logical reasons afterwards, but that was to justify what I already decided. It was Skulder who was certain you were deceiving me, even after I gave him my reasons. And it wasn't logic that made me defend you so vehemently." I took a deep breath. "So, yes, Harald, I do trust you." Now I understood why he found trust so frightening and dangerous. "You probably think I'm foolish." That's what Astrid and Skulder thought for sure.

"Wrong again," Harald said with a gentle smile. "I think you're amazing." He lifted his hand and stroked my cheek. "I could betray your trust and take advantage of you, but I have absolutely no desire to do so. Why is that?"

I flushed. "D-Don't ask me."

Harald chuckled and returned his hand to my waist. "It's your turn, love."

I swallowed hard. He had broken my train of thought, although I new question came to me easily. "Who do you trust?"

Harald smirked. "You're very efficient in your questioning. I trust two people: the friend I mentioned earlier and... you."

My heart skipped a beat. Who he had not included in his answer told me as much as who he had. I should have been glad he did not trust Stormheart, but I felt sorry for him. I could not imagine following someone I did not trust. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. As for my question... would you run away with me if I asked you?"

The teasing look in his eye told me he was not entirely serious. Still, I sensed he wanted a legitimate answer. "If you meant it sincerely, I would be tempted. But... no. I could not do that. Running away and hiding is never the right option."

"You're entitled to your opinion no matter how wrong it is."

I rolled my eyes. This coming from the king of running away. "It's my turn." I took a moment to compose myself and return to the proper state of mind. "I know running away is one of your favorite tactics, but when it comes to me, there's something more, isn't there? Stop, that's not my question. Why do you keep pushing me away as if I am the one who is going to leave you?"

Harald shifted his gaze to the ground but not before I caught the sadness in his eyes. "Because one day you're going to wake up and realize you're better off without me."

My heart squeezed in pain. "That's not true, Harald." I scooted closer to him and rested my head against his chest. "My life is better with you in it."

"How can you say that?"

"Is that your question?"

"Sure, why not?"

For a moment, I enjoyed the feel of his arms around me and the sound of his heartbeat. "You give me a reason to be better person. You've made me more open and compassionate and vulnerable. Because of you, I've learned what it means to love someone unconditionally. And you've helped me relax and enjoy the moment. When I'm with you, I am happy and safe. It's feels right." I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. I saw astonishment, gratitude, and something else I did not recognize. I smiled at him. "I love you, and love is always worth it."

Harald's smile warmed my heart and put me at ease. "If you say things like that... how am I supposed to let you go?"

I grinned. "That's the point. You don't."

Harald chuckled. "I believe it's your turn to ask a question."

I was not sure what I could ask to compete with that. I rolled away from him a bit so I could think. "What is it you're after in life? No, let me be more specific." I rolled to my side and looked at him. "What do you want more than anything, whether or not you think you can get it? What is your heart's greatest desire?"

Something changed in his eyes. He pulled his arms away from me and rolled onto his back. For a minute, he said nothing. Then, he sat up and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Brennda. I won't answer that."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Was it that difficult of a question? "If you don't know the answer-"

"I know the answer. I just don't want to tell you." He stood up and brushed off his clothes. "Congratulations, you win this time."

I slowly stood up. Somehow, this felt like a hollow victory. "Thanks, I guess."

Harald looked up at the sky. "It's getting late. We should go."

"Yeah..." Had I ruined the atmosphere? Did I go someplace I shouldn't have? "We'll see each other soon, though, right?"

Harald looked back at me and gave me small smile. "Meet me here in two days."

My worries instantly evaporated. Two days? I could get on board with that. This plan might actually work. Too bad I had to keep it a secret... for now.

A/N: That was fun. I hope you learned something. :)